Echinacea plant named ‘Coral Reef’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Echinacea  plant named ‘Coral Reef’ characterized by medium large, dark orange to coral ray florets, enlarged coral red disc florets forming an anemone-type inflorescence, well-branched flower stalks, and excellent vigor.

Botanical denomination: Echinacea spp.

Variety designation: ‘Coral Reef’.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofEchinacea and given the cultivar name ‘Coral Reef’. Echinacea is in thefamily Asteraceae. This new cultivar originated from a planned breedingprogram using Echinacea purpurea ‘Razzmatazz’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No.13,894) as the seed parent and unnamed proprietary, unreleased plantfrom a third generation hybrid of Echinacea (paradoxa×purpurea ‘RubyGiant’), for the pollen parent. The exact pollen parent of thisselection is unknown.

Compared to Echinacea purpurea ‘Razzmatazz’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No.13,894), the seed parent, the new variety has orange to coral ratherthan dark pink flowers.

Compared to the pollen parent, Echinacea (paradoxa×purpurea ‘RubyGiant’), the new variety has coral rather than rose pink flowers andanemone-type inflorescence rather the “single” type with normal discflorets.

Compared to Echinacea ‘Hot Papaya’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 21,022), the newvariety has larger flowers, ray florets that don't strongly reflex, anddifferent overall orange coral color.

This new Echinacea cultivar is distinguished by:

-   -   1. large, dark orange to coral ray florets    -   2. enlarged coral red disc florets forming an anemone-type,        semi-double inflorescence    -   3. well-branched flower stalks; and    -   4. excellent vigor

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation(division and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identicalcharacteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by divisionand tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques withterminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that theforegoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and areestablished and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The presentinvention has not been evaluated under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environmentwithout a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a group of flowers of Echinacea ‘Coral Reef’ on a plantgrowing in full sun in the summer in Canby, Oreg.

FIG. 2 shows the whole plant.

FIG. 3 shows a close up of the flowers.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Echinacea cultivarbased on observations of a 9-months-old specimen growing in the groundin the field in full sun under typical outdoor conditions in Canby,Oreg. Canby is in Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures rangefrom a high of 95 degrees F. in August to an average of 32 degrees F. inJanuary. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year in the trialfields in Canby, Oreg. The color descriptions are all based on The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart.

-   Plant:    -   -   Type.—Herbaceous perennial.        -   Hardiness.—USDA Zones 4 to 9.        -   Size.—50 cm wide and from 69 cm to 90 cm tall to top of            flowers.        -   Form.—Basal clump.        -   Vigor.—Excellent.        -   Roots.—Fibrous, with many downward growing and few laterals,            ivory in color, Yellow White 158D, roots develop easily from            cuttings from the crown.-   Stem (flowering):    -   -   Type.—Ascending, with 7 flowering branches on main stems.        -   Size.—Branching to 87 cm tall to a terminal flower and 11 mm            wide at base.        -   Internode length.—3 cm to 8 cm.        -   Surface texture.—Strigose.        -   Color.—Yellow Green 146B mottled with Brown 200A.-   Leaf (basal):    -   -   Type.—Simple.        -   Shape.—Lanceolate to broadly lanceolate.        -   Arrangement.—Basal.        -   Blade size.—Grows to 21 cm long and 8 cm wide.        -   Margins.—Entire.        -   Apex.—Acute to acuminate.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Surface texture.—Strigose on both sides.        -   Venation.—Pinnate, with 5 main veins from the base.        -   Color.—Topside, Yellow Green 147A, bottom side closest to            Yellow Green 147B.        -   Petiole description.—Grows to 16 cm long and 6 mm wide (at            base), glabrous, Yellow Green 146D except topside inside            petiole furrow and bottom ¼ where Greyed Purple 187A.-   Leaf (stem):    -   -   Type.—Simple.        -   Shape.—Lanceolate.        -   Arrangement.—Alternate.        -   Blade size.—Grows to 18 cm long and 4 cm wide.        -   Margins.—Entire.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Surface texture.—Strigose on both sides.        -   Venation.—Pinnate, with 5 main veins from the base.        -   Color.—Topside, Yellow Green 147A; bottom side between            Yellow Green 147A and Yellow Green 147B.        -   Petiole description.—On lowermost leaves, clasping, grows to            4 cm long and 5 mm wide above the clasp, strigose, Yellow            Green 147B.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—Composite on terminal stalked heads.        -   Number of flowering stems from the ground.—3 to 8.        -   Flowering stem.—Grows to 87 cm tall from the base of the            plant to the terminal flower and can grow to 29 cm long from            the top stem leaf to the base of a flower head; branched,            about 12 flowers per stem; diameter growing to 10 mm wide            near the flower head; strigose, Yellow Green 146B mottled            with Brown 200A.        -   Size.—Grows to 10.5 cm wide and 4.5 cm deep as disc            enlarges.        -   Form.—Ray petals held horizontally, mature disc is conic.        -   Immature inflorescence.—Grows to 2.7 cm wide and 2.4 cm            deep, ray florets held upright and rolled up so only the            back color shows, Yellow Green 150C tinted Greyed Red 178A,            disc background is Yellow Green 145A, foreground is Greyed            Purple 187B.        -   Ray florets.—Without pistil or stamen, 22 to 27 in number,            grows to 42 mm long and 10 mm wide, oblanceolate with the            tip two toothed (each acute), entire margins, base            attenuate, glabrous on both sides; topside color of young            mature ray florets Greyed Orange 169A overall with the top ⅓            slightly lighter, Greyed Orange 170A, and the base Greyed            Purple 187B; older florets lighten to Greyed Red 180C and            180B, bottom side closest to Greyed Purple 186B.        -   Disc.—Flat becoming conic, becoming 30 mm deep and 65 mm            wide with maturity, overall color Red 47B.        -   Disc florets.—About 350 in number, grow to 22 mm long and 2            mm to 8 mm wide, each with one persistent, very stiff bract            (12 mm long and the top 3 mm with Greyed Purple 187A on tip            then Orange Red 32A, rest Yellow Green 148D); showy corollas            to 22 mm long and 2 to 10 mm wide depending on whether            mostly tubular with 5 lobes or tubular on the bottom only            with the lobes spreading out like a fan, glabrous, outside            color Greyed Purple 186B, showy inside color Red 47A            lightening with age to Greyed Orange 170A with Greyed Purple            187B on the lobe tips; pistil 8 mm long, ovary 2.3 mm long,            White 155A, style 4 mm long White 155A, 2-branched stigma            spreading 1.2 mm wide, tinted Greyed Purple 187B; stamen 4            in number, 3 mm long, anthers 1.5 mm long and Black 202A,            filaments 1.5 mm long, White 155A, no pollen, male sterile.        -   Phyllaries.—In 4 leafy series, area 3.5 cm wide and 10 mm            deep, lobes lanceolate in shape, held horizontally, grow to            17 mm long and 4.5 mm wide, Yellow Green 147B, margins            strigose, tip acute, strigose on both sides.        -   Receptacle.—Grows to 14 mm wide and 12 mm deep, White 155A.        -   Bloom period.—July through October in Canby, Oreg.        -   Fragrance.—Light, floral.        -   Lastingness.—Each inflorescence lasts about two weeks in            Canby, Oreg.        -   Seeds.—0 to 1 per inflorescence, each 3 mm long and 2.5 mm            wide, oval, Brown 200C.        -   Fertility.—Poor.-   Disease and pests: Echinacea are susceptible to leaf miners, powdery    mildew, bacterial spots, and gray mold. None of these have been    observed on plants grown under commercial conditions in Canby, Oreg.    No resistance is known.

1. A new and distinct Echinacea plant as herein illustrated anddescribed.